Chapter 2: The Quest is the second chapter in Antoine's Journal. The chapter covers the span of five years; Molly and Antoine's continued development of the Sensen technology to Molly's death after she is severely injured in a terrorist attack in Rio.

Contents

Summary

2016 - 2017

Antoine and Molly are married in Las Vegas. Antoine considers the anger of his parents over the spontaneity of their marriage, but wants to introduce them to Molly nonetheless.

While in Las Vegas they test out the Sensen Technology on a crowd of people in a bar and receive a promising group of test results from varying people present that night at the bar. After returning from Las Vegas, a friend of Molly's suggests that they travel to Mombasa, Kenya with the VSO to test their equipment on the disadvantaged refugees living there. The results from the orphanage revealed the desires of the orphans were no different from his or Molly’s; the “landscape” of their minds were “inferior” and were worth less to businessmen backing their project.

In 2017, Molly and Antoine are approached by a video game company to develop headsets for a game after Molly presented the data of their Sensation Engine research in Kenya to them. They were also offered a deal by a company by the name of API to develop the Sensation Engine for social networking platforms. Prior to accepting any deals, Molly moved to Rio to continue experimenting with disadvantaged orphans and children for more data. The hope was to gather enough information that would allow them freedom with financial gain.

During the 2017 Olympics, Antoine notices odd web traffic that may be attributed to Hackers and individuals who attempted to stream the event for free. Though slightly concerned, he thinks nothing of it.

2018 - 2019

In 2018, Rio comes under attack by what is believed to be terrorists. The Experion Hotel in Botafogo is the target of the explosion, which triggers internet and electrical black outs. Two hundred people are killed in the blast, but Molly is among the countless some people who are injured.

He receives a call from the hospital that Molly is alive and being cared for at the hospital, but he cannot come see her as flights have been grounded in light of the attacks. When he is finally able to reach her in 2019, he learns Molly is paralyzed and cannot move or speak. Antoine can do nothing except wait at her bedside. He attempts to communicate with her with the Sensation Engine, to which she is responsive to. However, as time goes on, Molly becomes less and less responsive to Antoine's communication.

2020

As time passes, Molly begins to communicate that she wants to die if she cannot get up from her hospital bed. Distraught over his wife's wishes, Antoine wanders to a bar and drinks over his conflict. Finally, however, he respects his wife's wishes and cuts her life support, killing her.